A Different World
by DragonWing85
Summary: It's been five years since the four sword heroes entered our world. No one, except Shadow and Red, remember where they came from or how they even got here. It's up to them to get everyone together again as a team to save the princess and return to Hyrule. Can they convince the others of who they really are before it's too late? AU. Rated T for violence and psychological issues.
1. Chapter 1

**I sincerely hope you enjoy this story. I wanted to try something different. As far as updates go, it's going to be slow since I'm currently working on my story, Four Swords Vs the Wild. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.**

 **Sincerely,**

 **DragonWing85**

Red, clothed in a hooded, cherry-colored jacket and light red shirt with jeans, sat at the kitchen table eating a bowl of Cheerios, reading a book.

Vio, dressed in faded jeans, a purple T-shirt, and plaid white and purple button up, zombie-walked himself to the cabinet to grab a bowl. As he poured his cereal, he looked around for their third housemate.

"Where's Shadow?"

"In his room. I think he's still asleep," said Red slurping each spoonful of milk."

Vio frowned. "He sure has been sleeping late—more often than usual. What's he doing at night?"

Red shrugged his shoulders and flipped the page of his book.

"You're sure quiet this morning," said Vio suspiciously. "What are you reading?"

"It's nothing," said Red closing the manga book and attempting to put It in his backpack.

Vio grabbed it and flipped through the pages before Red could object.

Daggers flew from Vio's eyes. "What are you doing with this?"

"Vio, I—"

"You shouldn't be reading this stuff! It's just confusing you."

Red bit his lip to keep from crying. "But it's real. Don't you think it's strange that we would end up in someone's story."

Vio took a deep breath. "Red, the doctor said—"

"The doctor's wrong! Vio, we have two brothers out there somewhere. And their names are Green and Blue."

"This isn't real, Red! It's just you and me and Shadow. There is no Green or Blue. It's just us."

"But, sometimes, I can remember bits and pieces. We were knights and we had to rescue the princess. The wizard put us under a spell. Please, Vio. Why won't you believe me?"

"Because it's not real!"

Shadow, dressed in black silky pajamas, walked in rubbing his eyes. "Is everything okay? I can hear you two shouting all the way down the hall with the door closed."

"No!" yelled both of them simultaneously.

"O-k-a-y. I'm…just going…to go back to bed now," said Shadow turning to leave.

Vio grabbed his shoulder and turned him around. "He listens to you. Tell him it's not real."

Shadow looked at them uncomfortably. "Vio, can't we just—"

"It's real! Shadow," yelled Red. "We're all under a spell and—"

"Enough!" shouted Vio. He took a moment to compose himself. "I…I don't have time for this! I'm going to be late for my classes."

He took Red's book and shoved it in his own backpack with his other college books. He then yanked the cabinet door open and pulled out a prescription bottle with Red's name on it.

Panic filled Red's eyes. "No. Vio, I'm not taking those."

"Yes, you are. The doctor said that if you start—"

"I'm not taking them!" Red pursed his lips.

"Take them or I'll shove it down your throat."

"No!"

"Here," said Shadow walking past Red to take the pill from Vio, "let me try."

Shadow grabbed a glass and poured water from the tap. He then showed Red the pill. Red reluctantly opened his mouth and Shadow popped it in. With tears in his eyes trying not to fall, Red swallowed after sipping the glass of water.

Shadow gave Vio a see-now-wasn't-that-easy look.

Vio walked over to Red. "Let me check."

The young man rolled his eyes but opened his mouth anyway.

"Hmm," thought Vio aloud. "Keep an eye on him, will you, Shadow?"

Shadow nodded and motioned him to leave. "Go. I got this. Hurry and get your degree so we can get a better place to live. I'm tired of mooching off my uncle."

After Vio left, Red wiped the tears from his eyes. "Thanks, Shadow. I owe you one."

"Yes, Red," grinned Shadow, "Yes you do." He tossed the pill in the air and caught it in the bottle. The pills rattled in the orange bottle as he shook it. "As a matter of fact, that's five you owe me now."

"Why doesn't Vio believe me?"

Shadow shrugged. "Life here is all he can remember. You have to admit, it seems kind of farfetched to be heroes from a different world."

"Shadow, in the book, you're my enemy. If you're 'really' my enemy, then why do you help me?"

Shadow frowned, his hair covering his eye. "Because I want to go back too." _Truth is…I've grown fond of you. And no one has ever treated me with the respect you have. To anyone else, I'm a nobody. "_ And besides that, I can't have two zombies moping around here with Vio working and going to school at the same time."

"I just need to stay off the pills long enough to prove my theory!"

"Sooner or later, Vio is going to find out, you haven't been taking your meds. You'd better hurry."

Red grabbed his backpack and rushed out the back door.

"Hey, where are you going?" shouted Shadow.

"To buy another manga!" 

Shadow rubbed his hands together. _Hmm. Looks like I'm going to have to do some intervening to get everyone together again. Oh, I'm going to have some fun today!_

He yawned and blinked at the sun streaming through the window.

 _Right after I take my second nap. Geez, can it get any brighter outside?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you! After such kind reviews, how can I not post the next chapter early!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **DragonWing85**

Green sat in the ER room, waiting for the doctor. Blue lay in the bed grumbling about how unfair the fight was.

"Let it go already," said Green still staring at the magazine.

"I wouldn't be in here, if I'd have gotten some help from you!"

Green looked over the magazine annoyed. "I recall you saying, 'I don't need any help'. So, I stayed on the sidelines, watching you get your butt kicked."

Blue crossed his arms and sank farther into the bed. "Argh, I'm ready to go. What's taking so long!"

"We'll leave when the doctor releases you. We're waiting to see if you have a concussion."

"This is boring!" groaned Blue. "I'd rather be out there finishing my fight."

Green tossed the magazine to the side and headed for the door.

"Hey," called Blue, "where are you going?"

"To get a snack. Maybe they have some free coffee. Want me to bring you anything?"

"No. Well, yeah…maybe some peanut M&Ms."

"K. I'll be back."

"Take your time!" shouted Blue as he walked out. "Looks like I'll be here for a while."

Two minutes later, Vio walked in the door with his nose in a chart. He glanced at the patient and froze dropping the chart. _Red?!_

"Wow," said Blue eyeing the fuchsia scrubs, "that was fast. Did you find any coffee or M&Ms? Why are you dressed like that?"

"Are you okay?" said Vio, his voice shaking as he rushed over to the bed. "What happened to you?"

Blue raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm okay. I've been telling you that for the past two hours. You were conscious for my butt being kicking, so you tell me."

Vio scowled and then studied the monitors. He put two fingers on Blue's wrist and counted silently as he studied the watch on his own wrist. "Your pulse is normal."

Blue started to pull the IV out of his arm, but Vio popped his hand. "Leave it in," he said sharply.

Blue shook his hand. "You're acting weird. Maybe you should switch to decaf."

Vio frowned. He took out a small flash light and shined it in Blue's eye. "Follow my finger. That's it, good. Now the other eye. Good. You seem okay. Just a nasty bump on the head. Looks like it should go down in a day or two. You just need to rest, okay?"

"Green, I've been telling you, I'm—"

"What did you call me?"

"I didn't call you anything. What's your problem?"

"Is this about this morning? Look I'm sorry. But just because we argued about your book, doesn't give you the right to—."

"What book? I don't even read!"

Vio's face fell. "You don't remember…do you?" He grabbed Blue's shoulders. "Who am I to you?"

Blue lifted a bruised eyebrow. "You're Green. And you're 'really' freaking me out."

Vio raised his hand to his mouth. "You don't know who I am? It's me—Vio—you're brother! I work here in the hospital. I'm going to school to work in the medical field as an RN and who knows maybe even a doctor one day. You work part time in the gift shop around the corner. You're also going to school for a degree in hospitality. Doesn't any of this sound familiar to you at all?"

Blue looked at him like he was crazy. "Decaf."

There was a knock on the door. "Hello there. I'm Dr. Renado. So, who do we have here?" The doctor picked the chart up off the floor flipped through the pages. "Blue?"

"Blue?" echoed Vio.

"That's me!" said Blue lacing his fingers behind his head as he leaned back.

The doctor continued flipping through the pages. "Hmm. Looks like you were brought in unconscious. You seem to be okay now." The doctor took Blue's head in his hands and gently turned it. He then looked in his ears and eyes. "No signs of concussion. Just a little banged up is all."

He turned to Vio. "Does he have a regular doctor?"

Vio nodded.

"Okay. Let's get the paper work done and you can go home, Blue."

Vio cleared his throat. "It's actually Red. His name is Red."

"No. It's not!" said Blue eyeing Vio suspiciously. "What's gotten into you?"

The doctor looked at both of them waiting for an explanation.

Vio pulled a spare bottle of pills from his pocket. "This is his prescription from his doctor."

The doc read it and nodded understandingly. "I see…well."

Blue was fuming. "What are you babbling about? I don't take pills."

Vio looked at Blue with worry. "He thinks that we're characters in a book."

The doctor nodded sympathetically. "I can give him something to calm him down to help you get him home. Can you hold him?"

Vio nodded as the doctor walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle and needle.

"W-what are you doing?" asked Blue nervously eyeing the doc's tiny weapon.

Vio held his arms. "Red, just hold still. Don't make this difficult."

Blue struggled. "Let me go! You're not poking me with that! Ow!"

"There," smiled the doctor. "You'll feel better in no time."

Blue looked at the doctor then at Vio. His vision started to blur and the noises in the hall grew distant. "What…was…that?" He blinked at the fuzzy fuchsia Vio stepping towards him.

"Just relax. I'll get you home soon, okay?"

"Home?...Green…why…di—" And with that Blue drifted into a deep sleep.

The doctor turned to Vio. "He'll be fine. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll sign off on his paper work at the nurse's station and you two can get out of here."

Just after Vio and the doctor left, Green walked in with a cup of coffee and a package of Reese's pieces.

"So, I found the coffee, but they were out peanut M&Ms. Will these do? Blue? Huh. Out like a light." _They must have given him something to keep him quiet. I know I would have._

Green walked over to his bed and pulled his cover up to his chin. _Hang in there, Tough Guy. We'll get out of here soon. Now where's the restroom?_

Right after Green set the coffee down and walked out, in came Vio dressed in jeans and purple plaid with a wheelchair and backpack.

"Okay, Red, I just clocked out. Let's get you home and in Bed." Vio grunted trying to move Blue to the chair. "Geez! I don't remember you being so heavy. As soon as you get better, you're going on a diet!"

Vio expertly wheeled Blue out of the room.

Green sauntered in five minutes later. "Blue? Oh, no."

 **Chapter 3 will be a while in the making. But hold tight. It's going to get interesting! Thanks for hearting and following the story!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, Readers! Just wanted you to know that the doctor's name in chapter two has been updated. It's no longer Dr. Wily. It has been changed to Dr. Renado. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. It's short but meaningful. Thank you for your kind reviews!**

 **-DragonWing85**

Once home, Vio dressed 'Blue' into his favorite striped red pajamas and tucked him into bed. Vio plopped down in the wheelchair and watched his brother sleep.

 _That's funny. I've never known Red to snore._

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a smooth stone with a crumbly red bow tied around it. Rubbing the stone with his thumb, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back. A tear rolled down his cheek as the memory surfaced:

 _"_ _Vio, this is for you," said Red. He placed the neatly wrapped stone in his hand. "I can't remember who I am or where I came from. But I don't want you to ever forget me! And I have one too. See." He pulled his out of his pocket. It was wrapped with a purple bow. "So I can remember you too! I…I know, I'm supposed to know you; I just can't remember. But I can feel it. I don't ever want to forget you again."_

Vio sniffled and squeezed the rock in his hand. _Red. You promised you wouldn't forget me._ He tucked the stone back into his pocket. I _need some air._

As he gently closed the door behind him, a voice shouted, "You're home early!"

Vio jumped. "Shadow! Don't do that!" He clutched his chest as if it would make his heart beat correctly. "Geez! And be quiet!"

"Sorry," whispered Shadow. "You have to admit though, I am good at sneaking up on people. Hey, why are we whispering?"

"It's Red. He's sleeping. Someone jumped him. Beat him up really bad. I found him in the ER while I was on my shift."

Shadow's eyes grew wide. "Is he okay?"

"He just needs some rest." Vio rubbed his own eyes.

Shadow tilted his head. "Looks like you could use some rest too. I'm off work and I'm usually up at night anyway. I'll keep an eye on him."

Vio looked hesitant.

"Vio, I promise, I'll come get you if anything happens. Okay?"

Vio nodded—reluctantly. "Okay. But if—"

"I'll wake you. Go," said Shadow shooing him away. "I got this. You forget who found you that day five years ago."

Vio's yawn turned into a smile. "If it hadn't been for you and your uncle…I don't know what would have happened to us. We never really thanked you."

Shadow shifted his feet uncomfortably. _Don't think me yet. I wasn't exactly doing you two a favor._ "You can thank me by getting some sleep…now!"

Vio stretched. "Thanks, Shadow. Goodnight."

"Night, Vio."

As soon as Vio entered his room, Shadow went in to check on Red. The boy lay snoozing, sound asleep. Shadow pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled down to Red's last text message: **Shad b hom late.** **Missed the bus tell V not to worry if he beats me hom.**

The soft light from the phone gave the room an eerie bluish glow. Shadow frowned. The message had been sent thirty minutes ago. But that couldn't be right. Unless…

Shadow walked over to the bed and pulled back the golden locks of hair from the sleeping teen's forehead. _No scar._ _Just as I thought._

The sleeping teen's eyes shot open. He grabbed Shadow by the wrist and shouted, "You!"

Shadow smiled wickedly. "Hello, Blue."


	4. Chapter 4

Vio flopped on his bed and laid his arm across his eyes.

 _How long has it been since I got a good night's sleep? I don't even recall the last time I got a full six hours!_

He yawned and rolled over on his side. Within mere seconds, he was snoozing. But unfortunately, that didn't last long. He woke to the sound of a thud against the wall.

"What the heck?"

Jumping out of bed, Vio raced to Red's bedroom just in time to see Shadow body slam Blue against the wall with a bolt of electricity. The dark link held him in place as the current flowed all around the angry young man.

"Shadow! What are you doing?! Let him go! Now!"

Shadow blinked at Vio. _Oops. Well, this is going to be hard to explain._ He stopped the flow of electricity and stepped back.

Blue slid to the floor. "Coward!"

"What's going on?" panicked Vio. "What...what was that…that stuff…that came out of your hands?"

Blue shakily tried to stand up. "Green, stay back! I've got him this time!" There was more rage in his eyes than an angry bull.

"Green? Oh, no! Red, it's me—Vio. You're still confused."

The electricity in Shadow's hands began sparking again. "Vio. I hate to break it to you, but that's not Red. You need to stay back!"

Blue charged at Shadow with full force. The dark link threw another bolt, electrifying the very air around them.

"No!" shouted Vio ramming Blue to the side.

The purple clad teen dropped to the floor in a slump as paralyzing pain spread throughout his body like a red-hot iron. He looked over past Shadow whose face registered regret and Blue who seemed more scared now than angry. Behind them, stood a person dressed in a cherry-red hoody holding a McDonald's bag.

 _Red?_

"Vio," said Shadow rushing to his side. He cradled the teen's head in his arm while trying to help him sit up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just trying to stop—"

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Blue no longer concerned about the fight.

"What's going on?" cried Red dropping the bag and rushing over to Vio.

The purple clad hero continued to stare at Red and Blue until his vision started to blur.

"No, no, no!" said Shadow gently slapping his friend's face. "Vio. Stay awake...Red, get the first aid kit…Blue. Help me get him to the couch. Vio…Come on, Vio…Violet!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for the kind reviews and critique! They were dearly encouraging and helpful. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. I was saving this chapter for next week, but I'm going to go ahead and post it. Chapter six will probably be quite a while since my sister is getting married next week! Hope you have fun with this chapter—I sure did!**

The purple clad teen slowly opened his eyes to his cherry-red hooded brother pressing a cool cloth to his forehead.

"V-i-o…V-i-o, come on wake up. V-i-o."

Vio moaned trying to sit up.

"No. No. Lay back down." Red pushed him back by his shoulders. "You should rest." He placed the cloth neatly on his forehead.

Vio closed his eyes and sighed. "What happened? Did I pass out? I've never had a headache like this before! I must have hit my head on something really hard. Do we have any aspirin?"

"I got one for you. Here. I was just waiting for you to wake up. I thought you'd need it." Red handed his brother a glass of water. "You 'did' pass out. Shadow said you should be fine if you just rest."

Vio took it gratefully and leaned back on the couch. "You know, I had the strangest dream. You were there and Shadow and someone else that looked just like us. And Shadow had some kind of…strange power like…like—"

"Like magic?"

Vio nodded slowly. "Yeah, like…magic. What a weird dream, huh?"

A bead of sweat rolled down Red's face. "When you think about it, it's not really that weird."

As Vio turned his head to relax, his eyes grew wide. Just opposite of him sat a young teen in striped red pajamas with his and Red's exact features, eating a bowl of Cocoa Puffs.

Blue just stared at him as he wordlessly ate his bowl of cereal.

"No…" said Vio getting off the couch.

Red grabbed his brother's arm nervously. "It's not a dream, Vio. It's real! And Shadow is really r-e-a-l-l-y sorry for blasting you with his magic."

Vio couldn't take his eyes off Blue. "I can't believe it. I just can't believe it! There really is another one of us?!"

Blue grunted. "If you don't believe it, try pinching yourself and wake us both up from this nightmare."

Vio closed his eyes and rubbed them. _You're not real. You're not real._ He slowly opened them and frowned.

Blue rolled his eyes. "I'm still here, Dingbat." He ate another spoonful of cereal.

Red cleared his throat. "Blue, this is Vio. Vio, this is Blue. You're…brothers."

"But how?" said Vio bewildered. "And where's Shadow?"

Red tried to get Vio to lay back down. "He went to find Green at the hospital. Don't worry. He'll be back soon." Red leaned in closer to whisper. "I heard Shadow tell Blue that if he caused us any trouble, he'd make Green pay. So, I think we'll be okay."

Blue watched them curiously, slurping his milk.

Red continued to whisper. "He really likes Cocoa Puffs. I mean r-e-a-l-l-y likes them. He's on his second box!"

Vio frowned. "Second box! That's supposed to last us for the rest of the week!"

Blue held his spoon in midair. "Oops. My bad."

"I suppose you'd like some Pop-Tarts too!"

"Sure. If you got them."

Vio doubled his fists. "You're a pig!"

Blue shrugged his shoulders. "At least I don't have a stupid name."

"I have a perfectly good name and it's not stupid!" yelled Vio.

"What ever you say, Vio-let," smirked Blue.

"That's it! I'm going to—"

Red stood between them. "Vio, please. He's just trying to get under your skin. He's…scared. He only knows how to be tough, and he doesn't know what to do without 'his' brother here to help him. Please, Vio, let it go…please."

Blue dropped his spoon, surprised that Red had seen right through his act and summed him up so quickly.

Vio relaxed. "Okay. I'm sorry." He held out a hand for Blue to shake. "Can we start over?"

Blue stared at Vio's welcoming hand but didn't shake it. "Can I use your bathroom?"

Vio dropped his hand to his side awkwardly. "Yeah, it's down the hall." _And it's 'may I' not 'can I', Moron._

Blue closed the bathroom door and locked it. He looked up at the window just above the toilet. _Bingo! Now to escape and recue Green before that Creep hurts him!_

Blue stood on the seat of the commode and pushed the window open. On the tank of the toilet sat several small pots with various flowers. _What's up with all the plants?_ _It's like a jungle!_ Just as he stepped on the tank to climb out, his foot slipped knocking a pot over. It shattered, filling the air with the smell of daffodils and soil. _Crap! Who keeps plants on the back of the commode anyway?_

A small voice called from the other side of the locked door. "Blue? It's me, Red. Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…I just knocked over one of your plants is all. S-sorry 'bout that."

"Oh, No! Is it the yellow one?"

"Uh, yeah."

"D-don't worry about it. I can repot it. Hey, Blue?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like strawberry Pop-Tarts or blueberry?"

 _Really?_ "Uh, both."

"So, what flavor do you want? Vio's going to be made if you eat both boxes."

"Surprise me."

As Blue started climbing again, he heard Vio's voice outside the door.

"Red, what are you doing?"

"There was a loud noise. I was just checking on him. And I wanted to know what kind of Pop-Tarts he liked."

Vio sighed. "No one wants to talk, much less, think about food while their doing their business!"

"But you talk to me when I'm in there."

"Red, that's different. You're usually crying! Now, give him some privacy! Geez, Red. Sorry, Blue!"

"It's fine. No worries." _These are the strangest people I've ever met! I got to get out of here._

Blue looked down. _Great. I would be on the second story. Now how do I get down? Well. Guess I could use the drain pipe._

As Blue gently slid down the pipe (in Red's pajamas), his weight pulled on the screws holding it together.

"Oh, No, No, No-o-o, AHH!"


	6. Chapter 6

Blue groaned as he pulled himself out of the dumpster.

"Blue?" called a familiar voice.

"Green!" shouted Blue as he slipped and fell on the hard concrete.

Green dropped Blue's duffle bag that he'd hauled all the way from the hospital. He rushed to help him up. "What the heck are you doing in the dumpster?"

"We…we got to get out of here! These people…they're crazy!" He froze when he saw Shadow standing behind Green, arms crossed, with a frown on his face.

"We're crazy?" said Shadow. "You're the one who crawled out of a dumpster."

Blue whispered to Green, "Quick, if we take off in opposite directions, he won't know which one to follow!"

As Blue took off, Green grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him back. "We're staying here—at least until I get some answers." He drug Blue up the steps to the apartment, only pausing long enough to allow Shadow to open the door.

Vio stumbled into the kitchen holding a cloth to his head. He stopped when he saw Green yanking Blue through the door's threshold. _Oh great. Another one. There goes the waffles!_

Green finally let go of Blue who stayed close by him with fists ready for action.

"You must be Vio," said Green with a smile. He held out his hand out.

Vio stared at him confused. He thought this 'Green' fellow would be just like Blue.

Green looked at the palm of his hand rubbed it on his jeans to 'clean it off' and offered again to shake Vio's hand.

Vio took his it and gave it a good shake. "Yes, that's right. And this is my brother, Red."

Red squealed with joy behind him. "I told you! Didn't I tell you? I was right! There are more of us!" He ran up to Green and gave him a hug.

"More?" whined Vio, "H-how many more?"

"That's it," said Shadow. "Just you four. Shall we go have a seat in the living room? I'll try to explain everything."

Red let go of Green. "Oh! I bet you're thirsty. I'll fix us something to drink! Green. What would you like? We have milk, orange juice, soda—"

"Water, please," said Green straightening out his emerald jacket. "Kind of excitable, aren't you?"

Vio smirked. "You have no idea."

"Blue?" said Red ecstatically. "How about you?"

"You got anything hard?"

Green popped him on the back of the head.

"Geez! Fine," said Blue rubbing the back of his head. "I'll take a soda."

As Red continued to fill glasses, Shadow led everyone into the living room. He glanced nervously at Vio. "How are you feeling?"

Vio grimaced. "Like I was hit by a bus."

Shadowed grimaced. "I'm glad you're okay. I'm really sorry."

Vio leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes, placing the cool cloth on them. "What was that…thing you did, anyway?"

"It'll make more since if I answer that question later."

Red popped through the door and handed everyone a glass. "Oh. Snacks! We need snacks. I'll be right—"

Shadow grabbed him by his hood and pulled him backwards. "We're fine. Really. Now, let's get on to business shall, we?"

Blue watched Red bounce over to a recliner and sit cross legged in his seat.

"Is he like this all the time?" whispered Blue to Vio.

"Every freakin' day," answered Vio flatly.

Shadow cleared his throat. "None of us are from this world—not even me."

He paused. No one said anything. So, he continued.

"We come from a place—a kingdom actually—called Hyrule. And I'm your…enemy."

Red nodded enthusiastically. "It's true! An evil sorcerer sent us through a portal and Shadow came through with us."

Green frowned. "So, where is this 'evil sorcerer'? And why can't we remember any of this stuff, that is, if it's true?"

Shadow said, "Well, he came through the portal and lives in this world. He's—"

"My doctor," interrupted Red, "Dr. Vaati."

"What?" said Vio flabbergasted. "We've known him for the last five years. He's not evil. He always been good to us."

"No," continued Shadow. "He's always been good at tricking you. Why do you think he keeps giving Red those pills?"

Blue scoffed. "I can think of a few reasons."

Shadow ignored him. "It's because Red actually remembers bits and pieces of his past. The pills space him out so he can't remember. Vaati's afraid if you find each other, you'll find her."

"Wait," said Green rubbing his chin. "Who's 'her'?"

"The princess," said Red and Shadow simultaneously.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Vio taking the cloth from his eyes. "Now there's a princess?"

Green scratched his head. "You still haven't answered my question. Why can't any of us remember any of this," he said pointing his thumb at Red, "except for him?"

Shadow walked over to Red and pulled the half-combed locks of his golden hair back. A scar, three inches long, lay across his forehead.

Shadow waited to make sure everyone was listening before continuing. "Vaati battled Red before he was whisked away along with the rest of you. A fairy tried to save him by casting a counter spell on him as he entered the portal. Vatti has been trying to break her spell ever since, but the only luck he has is with the pills."

"You mean these pills?" said Vio shaking the bottle. "The ones that I 'know' you haven't been taking, Red."

"H-how did you find out?" asked Red wearily.

"Please, Red. I know when you haven't taken your meds."

"I think everyone does," mumbled Blue under his breath.

Green popped Blue on the head again before he tried to get Shadow back on track. "You said something about a princess. So, where is she?"

"Ah, yes," continued Shadow. "She's in the hospital's intensive care unit."

"Wait," said Vio, "I work on that floor sometimes. Are you telling me she's one of my patients?"

"Yes. Yes, she is. And Vaati keeps her sedated while keeping an eye on you and Red."

"O-h-h-h," said Red. "You've been guarding her all along like a faithful knight without even knowing it!"

Green crossed his arms unbelieving. "I want to see this 'princess' for myself."

Shadow nodded. "Fair enough. It's about time you were all reunited. We'll go when Vaati's shift changes latter today. For now, we should get some sleep."

Green added, "And how do we get our memories back, if what your saying is true? And why are you helping us if you are our enemy?"

"You should get them back once you cross back over in your world—Hyrule. And I…want to go back. I'm tired of being pushed around by Vaati like a nobody. Besides, my magic is weaker in this world."

Blue frowned. "If you really wanted to help us get back, why did you steal my wallet and land me in the hospital?"

Red gasped. "You stole his wallet! And beat him up!"

"I didn't steal your wallet, Blue. I just…borrowed it so I could pretend to give it back and strike up a conversation with you. You started the fight by losing your stupid temper!"

"Liar!" yelled Blue.

Green stood between them. "Cool it. Both of you." He slung Blue's duffle bag at him. "We're staying here for the night. So, find a way to get along!"

And with that Green turned and went into the kitchen before anyone could object.

Red jumped out of his seat, grabbed Blue by the arm, and half dragged him down the hall. "You can sleep in my room tonight!"

Shadow cocked a head at Vio who was pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes shut. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Vio opened his eyes. "I don't—can't—believe what I'm hearing! It's not possible."

Shadow nodded. "It's a lot to take in. Come on. Let's get you a warm glass of milk. It'll help you sleep."

As Vio entered the kitchen, he thought quietly to himself, _How am I supposed to get any sleep?_ _Maybe I'll wake up, and this will all be a dream. Yeah. One big giant nightmare. And then everything will be normal again._


	7. Chapter 7

Green sat at the kitchen table, eyes closed, hands folded and pressed against his lips. It was almost as if he were praying.

Shadow opened the fridge to grab the milk as Vio entered the room.

"Mind if I sit down?" asked Vio to Green as he held his aching head.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Go ahead. It is your place."

"Not really."

Green frowned.

Vio continued, "It's Dr. Vaati's. He just lets us stay here."

Green nodded with a small smile. "Sounds kind of like me and Blue."

"How so?" asked Vio as Shadow placed a mug in front of each of them.

Green looked surprised by his kindness. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," replied Shadow with hair covering one of his eyes. "Really. Don't mention it. I don't want anyone to know I a have a soft side."

"You were saying something about you and Blue," said Vio.

Green nodded. "Yeah. We've been in and out of foster homes for the past five years. We never had a place to really call home. We were always on the move…No one ever wanted us to stay that long."

"How come?"

Green frowned. "Blue. He loses his temper too easily. One day everything's going good. And then the next thing you know, Blue's in another fight with someone."

"That's tough."

"Yeah," sighed Green. "There was one place where we thought we would stay for good. I even called the man Pops. He really cared about us."

"What happened?" asked Vio.

Green pursed his lips. "That's a story for another day."

Vio nodded understandingly and sipped his milk. He turned to Shadow. "So, how does Red's manga book fit into all of this?"

Shadow opened a package of Oreo cookies. "Well, after Vaati entered this world, he needed some quick cash." Shadow sat down with his own mug of milk and started dunking his cookies. "Which means, he made me do all the work. I sold the idea of a kid who separated into four individuals by using a magical sword to two ladies in Japan. They worked together on the story—with my coaching of course—and the Four Swords Manga was born." Shadow's cookie broke and fell into his milk. "Ahh crap." He fetched a spoon to dig it out and returned to the table. "So, actually, you should be thanking me for this place. He would stay here too if he didn't hate you all so much. He really can't stand you."

Vio frowned. "Wait. I thought we were brothers—quadruplets."

"You are."

Vio rubbed his head. "But you said there was a magical sword that split one person into four people."

Shadow nodded. "Yes. Hmm. Guess I should have started off by telling you all that. You are each part of Link's whole personality."

"Link?" echoed Green.

Shadow leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the table. "Yes. That's your real name. But it's kind of confusing having four teens walking around with the name Link. So, you renamed yourselves—well actually Red did. It was his idea."

The two of them stared at Shadow blankly.

Shadow groaned. "Think about it. Blue is hotheaded and aggressive. You, Green, are focused and motivated. Red is innocent and optimistic. And Vio is…calm and collected (most of the time)."

"And what about you?" asked Green taking a cookie. "How do you fit into all this? I mean you look like us—sort of."

Shadow's face grew solemn. "Vaati created me from you. Your darker side—your shadow." He doubled his fist. "But I don't want to be in the background anymore just doing what other people tell me to do. I want to be free…free from Vaati. I want to be like you."

For five minutes, no one spoke.

Vio broke the silence. "Well, Green, if you are going to stay the night, we need to find you a spot to crash. How about the couch?"

"Sure. The couch sounds good."

Vio rose. "I'll get you a blanket from the hall closet. In the meantime, you better check on Blue."

Green frowned. "He should be fine. He won't leave here without me—I think."

Shadow chuckled eerily. "That's not what he means."

Vio smirked. "Red can be a bit…what's the word…overenthusiastic."

Green smiled. "Blue could use someone like Red to rub off on him."

Shadow chuckled. "I don't think that's how it works."

Green smiled darkly. "I'll give him a little more time before I check on him."

Vio shrugged his shoulders. "Fine by me. If you follow me, I'll get you a blanket and a pillow." He noticed Green had an army green backpack by his chair. "I'll get that for you. You must be tired hauling that all the way from the—"

Green grabbed Vio by the wrist. The two stared at each other before Vio pulled his hand away.

"I got it," said Green eyeing Vio sternly.

"Uh, no problem."

Although he looked relaxed with his feet on the table, Shadow watched them silently ready to spring into action to protect his housemate should the situation escalate.

The features of Green's face relaxed. "I'm sorry. All I own is in this bag. It's basically my home."

"My mistake," said Vio, leaving the kitchen a little nervous.

As Green got up to follow Vio, Shadow whispered in a low, "That sword you're hiding can't protect you here."

Green's eyes widened in surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. Like I said. It won't protect you or Blue here."

Green gritted his teeth. "If you dare hurt Blue again, I'll make sure you pay!"

"If anything happens to Red or Vio, the same goes for you." He took a step closer to Green. Picked up his pack and handed it to him. "We both know what the other is capable of."

Green took the pack, but Shadow refused to release it.

The dark Link added. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to Pops now either."

Green stood his ground as he gritted his teeth harder now. Shadow let go of the backpack.

Vio rounded the corner. "Oh, there you are. You're not allergic to flannel, are you? Am I interrupting something."

Green put on a fake smile. "No. We're done."

Vio nodded unconvinced. "Well, here you go." He dumped the pillow and blankets into Green's arms. "I'm going to bed." He headed to his room and shut the door.

When Green turned back around, Shadow was gone. He held his backpack close and headed to the living room.

After making his bed on the couch, Green gently knocked on Red's door. "Blue? You…okay in—"

The door flew open. Blue stood there, all showered and changed into his own t-shirt and sweats. He hissed, "Don't leave me in this room with him!"

Red was in his own pajamas, standing on his bed, singing, "It's a small, small world!"

Green grinned. "He's not that bad."

"Please, Green. Get me out of here! He's crazy."

"You know, I remember you saying just last week that you wished you had someone else for a brother."

"You know me! I didn't mean that. I just…lost my temper."

"Well, Blue, here's your new brother. Good night!"

"No, please. I—"

Green shut the door. _Sweet dreams!_

 **Thanks for the reviews and your patience. I couldn't wait to post this chapter! Hope you enjoy.**

 **-DragonWing85**

 **PS The wedding was great!**


	8. Chapter 8

Shadow walked up to Red's door and opened it. The teen lay on his bed softly snoring while Blue lay on a fold out chair that out into a bed.

Shadow called out, "Good morning! Rise and sh—"

Blue jumped out off bed and covered Shadow's mouth with his hand. "So, help me, if you wake him up, I will strangle you!"

Shadow grinned and nodded noticing the dark circles under Blue's eyes. He looked past him and saw Red roll over.

"It's a…small…sm…zzz," snored Red.

Shadow frowned at melody, quietly backing up and closing the door. "I take it, you didn't get much sleep last night."

Blue stared at him blankly. "No, I didn't. He sang that song forty times—forty times!"

The dark Link put a hand on Blue's shoulder. "He's not bad. He's just really 'really' cheerful. You get used to it after a while. Come on, you're cooking breakfast."

"What?" said Blue flatly.

"You heard me. You're cooking breakfast."

"You can't tell me what to do!"

Shadow eyed him slyly. "Yes, I can. I just did."

"No. I don't cook."

"Well, you do today."

"That's it. I'm leaving!" Blue stormed over to Green who lay perfectly still on the couch. "Green. Green wake up. We're leaving."

Green didn't budge.

Blue shook him by the shoulders. "Come on wake up!"

Green snored softly in response.

Blue looked at Shadow who stood ominously in the doorway. "What's wrong with him?" demanded Blue.

"He's fine. He's just sleeping. And he'll continue to sleep until I decide it's time to wake him up."

"What did you do to him?!"

"He and Vio had a nice chat over a cup of warm milk last night before bed. I had some business to take care of and I wouldn't be around to make sure no one left on their own or got into a fight. So, well, let's just say, their milk had a little something special added to it to make them sleep."

"You, Monster! Wake him up. Now!"

Shadow shook his head no. "Blue. Blue. Blue. You have such a temper. It's time you learn to control it and show some respect. Now, you're going to make everyone breakfast as an apology for being such a jerk. And when it's time to eat, I'll give you the antidote."

Blue held the anger in his face, but his eyes were worried about Green. "Okay. But if you don't, I'll—"

Shadow waved his hand in the air. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You'll strangle me." He stretched. "It's been a long night, wake me when breakfast is ready."

When Shadow disappeared down the hall, Blue turned his attention back to his snoring brother. "Hang in there, Bro. I'll get you out of this." He took the blanket and covered Green back up before going to the kitchen.

After thirty minutes, the fire alarm went off. Smoke choked out any oxygen in the tiny room. Blue threw the window open, attempting to take a breath.

"Are you trying to escape again," said an innocent voice behind him.

Blue bumped his head. "Oh, Red, you're awake. I, uh, no, I…" He sighed. "I'm trying to fix breakfast but…I don't know what I'm doing."

Red nodded. "You got that right." He walked over to the stove and flipped the burner off. He then climbed into a chair, took the fire alarm off the wall, and pulled the batteries out."

"Thanks," said Blue, grateful for the silence.

Red opened the pantry door, pulled out a red apron, and tossed it at Blue. "Here, this will help."

Blue took the apron and looped it over his neck but left the straps untied.

"Hand me the carton of eggs, will you?" said Red tying a black apron around his own waist.

"I…I can do this by myself," said Blue glancing at the door that led to the living room which also led to Shadow's room.

"Well, that's no fun," said Red humming. He pulled out the jug of milk and poured it into a bowel. Next, he added flour.

"You're not using any measuring cups?"

"Nope."

"But how do you know how much to add?"

Red smiled. "I do this every other day. I just know." Red cracked an egg on the bowel.

"I can do this. Really!" said Blue looking back at the door.

Red noticed and said, "Here, stir this. I'll walk you through it."

Blue took the bowel and started stirring.

Curiosity was written all over Red's face. "You want to talk about it?"

Blue paused, debating whether or not he should say anything. "Everything's fine."

Red kept staring at him. "It helps to talk."

Blue stirred the mixture faster and grunted, "I'm fine."

Red watched him. "Yeah, but Green's not, is he?"

Blue eyed him surprised. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Red swung his feet back and forth and studied the dirty cups that sat by the sink. "He won't wake up, will he?"

"Y-e-a-h. But how did you know?"

"Vio and Green didn't get up when the fire alarm went off." Red chuckled. "Vio keeps a fire extinguisher right by his bed. I don't know why exactly. I guess he has some kind of hidden fear about fires." Red eyed the batter. "Not bad. You can pour it in the skillet now. Don't worry Blue, Shadow does this sort of thing to Vio every once in a while, when he refuses to sleep because he's been working or studying too hard. Funny, Vio never figures it out. He always thinks he just crashed because he was so tired. Green will be fine."

Blue let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. "Shadow, said he'd give me the antidote when breakfast was ready."

"He will."

"So, what are we making, exactly?" asked Blue.

"Pancakes! They were our favorite in Hyrule." Red rubbed his head. "I guess they still are."

Blue yawned as he poured the batter in the pan. Soon, he had a plate full of hot, fluffy pancakes. He took off his apron. "Guess I better wake Shadow."

"Hmm," Red grinned slightly. "Let me do it."

"But—"

"Trust me. Follow me." Red winked at him and took off down the hall. Before he got to Shadow's room, he darted into his own. Within seconds, he emerged with something in his hand. "Come on!"

Red opened the door and crept up to the bed. Shadow lay on his side with a sleep mask on. Sneaking up to the bed, he whispered, "Sh-a-dow. Wake u-p-p-p."

He didn't stir.

Red pressed the button on the air horn. "Wake up, Shadow! Breakfast is ready!"

The dark link leaped out of bed and hit the floor. He yanked off his sleep mask. "R-e-e-e-e-d!"

Red took off running and grabbed Blue by the wrist, dragging him down the hall. They stopped in the living room.

"How's that for getting even?" asked Red.

Blue grinned. "I thought you were supposed to be the nice one?"

"I am. I was acting on your behalf."

"You mean, you did that for me?"

Red nodded. "Yeah. Shadow will forgive me a lot quicker than he will you."

"I like your style."

Now it was Red's turn to grin. "Really?"

"Yeah. You're…okay—in my book."

Shadow stormed down the hall and tossed the antidote to Blue. Without saying a word, he marched into the kitchen.

Red and Blue erupted in laughter.

"Guess, I better go smooth things over," said Red.

Blue nodded and read the bottle aloud when Red left. "Dragon's Breath. Shake well before using. Wave under nose until consciousness is regained." Blue shook the bottle and passed it back and forth under Green's nostrils. "Well, here goes nothing."

Green blinked and wrinkled his nose. "Ugh! Blue. What the heck are you doing? That stuff smells awful!"

"It worked. It really worked."

Green pushed the bottle away. "That stuff would wake the dead." Green sat up and frowned. "Are you crying?"

"No,"sniffed Blue.

"You are crying!"

"I am not! It's the smoke from the kitchen. I… burned the breakfast."

"You cooked breakfast? Why?"

"I…you…arg! Just eat it, okay?"

"Okay. No need to get upset. I was just asking."

Blue stormed down the hallway to wake Vio.

Green watched him disappear down the dark hallway.

 _Breakfast? He really cooked breakfast? What's gotten in to him?_

 **Dear Readers,**

 **Thank you for your patience. It was fun writing this dark but humorous chapter. I hope the next time you have cookies and milk, you'll think twice! Happy Thanksgiving! And thank you for the kind reviews!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **DragonWing85**


	9. Chapter 9

**Dear Readers,**

 **Sorry for the long delay in posting this chapter. I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I sure did!**

 **I'd like to post a chapter for this story every two weeks, but I make no promises. Hopefully, after the holidays, it will be easier to stick to a writing schedule.**

 **Thanks for the reviews. I love to know what your thinking!**

 **Happy new year!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **DragonWing85**

Blue paused before opening the door to Vio's bedroom. The two hadn't exactly hit it off. How was he going to explain why he was there?

He peeped in and glanced around as the teen snored. Vio's room was chaotically organized. Stacks of books were scattered everywhere. A large desk in the corner of the room held several open books. Blue flipped one of the pages and read aloud.

"Most psychological disorders can be treated by—"

Vio moaned and rolled over. "It's going to be okay, Red…we'll get through…zzz."

Drool hung from the corner of the sleeping teen's mouth, attempting to drip on the pillow. It looked like he'd fallen asleep without even changing clothes. If Blue didn't know better, he'd have thought that that Vio had fallen asleep from pure exhaustion.

 _He's trying to help him. He's not studying all this for his degree. He's trying to help Red._

He walked over to the bed and held his breath.

 _Here goes nothing,_ he thought as he waved the bottle under Vio's nostrils.

The sleeping teen wrinkled his nose, blinked, and then bolted upright.

"Blue?" He scooted back confused. "What…what are you doing?"

"I, uh, I…came to wake you…for breakfast."

Vio raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Breakfast?"

"Yeah. Breakfast." Blue bit his lip. "Is that a problem? Or are the eggs supposed to last a week too."

"I, uh, it's fine. Eggs are cheap." Vio squinted, studying the circles under his eyes. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"I'd rather not talk about it," mumbled Blue as he headed for the door pocketing the bottle of dragon's breath.

"Blue."

Blue turned to face his 'new' brother.

Vio swallowed. "Thanks. For breakfast. You didn't have to do that—wake me or even cook—if you did cook. What I mean is—"

"Don't mention it," said Blue. He bit his lip. This 'new' brother reminded him of Green but a tad different. Not as tough as himself, but definitely more hard core than Green. Strange. Maybe there was some truth to this whole 'brother' thing.

Blue closed the door behind him and headed to the kitchen. He froze as he rounded the corner and saw Green pinning Shadow's shoulders against the wall.

"What did you do to him?" yelled Green through gritted teeth.

Shadow grinned slyly. "Shouldn't you be thanking me? You should really control him better."

Green tightened his grip. "So, help me if you dare—"

"What's going on?" said Vio coming out of his room.

Green let go and took a step back but continued to stare Shadow down.

The dark Link straightened his rumpled pajamas and gestured towards the kitchen. "Now, can we eat?"

When they entered the kitchen, Red had the table set and was pouring everyone a glass of cold milk.

For the first five minutes, no one said anything as they ate.

Green watched everyone suspiciously, especially Shadow. As he reached for his glass of milk, Blue grabbed it from him and gulped it down.

Everyone stared at Blue as he wiped away the milk mustache. "What?"

"What's wrong with you?" said Green flabbergasted.

"I…uh…thought you wouldn't drink the milk because…you like water. I'll get you some water."

Blue grabbed him a new glass and poured him some water.

Green picked it up, paused, and then slammed it down, spilling it. "Okay, what's going on?"

Blue glanced at Shadow who gave him a don't-you-dare-say-a-word look.

"Well?" insisted Green.

"Nothing is going on," said Blue, lying through his teeth. "I'm trying to be nice."

"You're never 'nice'."

"I am too! I just don't like to show it."

Red giggled.

Blue faced him. "It's not funny, Red."

Red rubbed his head and continued laughing. "It is funny. It reminds me of when we were back in Hyrule." He began rubbing both side of his head and closed his eyes. "Blue, you and Green were always sparring. Sometimes it was swords, but most of the time it was with words." Red winced as if he were in pain. "And there was this one…time…ahh"

Vio gave Shadow an it's-happening-again look.

"Red," said Shadow rising from his chair, "just relax and take a deep breath."

"But…I remember." Tears were leaking from his squinted eyes. "I can…ahh…remember…it's a small world. It's a small world. It's a small world—"

"I'll get his meds!" said Vio jumping up.

"Don't," said Shadow. "Please, Red. Stop thinking about the past."

The tears were streaming now. "I…can't! I…ahh…please…it hurts…ahhh…make…it…sto…ahhhh!"

"What's wrong with him?" asked Blue taking a step back as if he had a disease.

"He needs his meds!" responded Vio.

Green jumped up from the table as Red fell out of his chair. "I'll get the pills. Where are they?"

"Don't give him the pills," grunted Shadow as he picked Red up. "Blue, help me get him to the couch!"

"We have to do something!" shouted Vio.

Red squirmed in pain holding his head. "It's a…small…its'…a…ahh!"

"It's going to be okay," coaxed Blue. "He is going to be okay, right? Right?!"

Shadow's hands were glowing pink now. "Red, try to lie still. Pretend you're floating on your back…in a swimming pool and the waves are rocking you back and forth."

Red barely nodded with his eyes squeezed shut and Shadow traced the scar on Red's forehead. For a moment, Red began to relax. But it didn't last long as Shadow nearly fainted.

"What happened? Are you okay?" asked Vio.

Shadow tried to stand up but Vio wouldn't let him. "I'm fine. It was a long night. My magic…needs to recharge. Help me up. I can do this."

Vio helped the dark Link stand. Again, Shadow traced the scar on Red's forehead. This time, it began to glow pink and then black and then pink again. Instantly, Red fell into a deep sleep.

Shadow's knees buckled, but Vio caught him before he hit the ground. Both he and Green walked him over to the recliner.

"What did you do to him?" asked Vio.

Shadow barely opened his eyes. "I merely paused the battle inside him by putting him in a deep sleep. It's a long story…but basically, there's…two…spells waring inside his head. When he remembers it causes him pain."

Vio frowned. "That makes no sense!"

Shadow didn't respond. He didn't even look conscious.

"Well," thought Green aloud, "now what do we do?"

"We need to get out of here!" said Blue sternly. "It's not safe here with Shadow. We don't really know what he even did to Red. I can carry him. We can—"

"No," said Vio. "I'm not leaving. I don't understand what's going on, but…I can't just leave." He glanced at Shadow. "I know when Shadow's lying. This isn't one of those times. Besides, he doesn't look so good. Someone needs to keep an eye on him."

Green nodded sympathetically. "Okay. We'll hang around. But," He pulled the sword out of his back pack. "I won't hesitate to use this."

Vio blinked in surprise.

Blue crossed his arms and plopped down on the floor beside the couch. _You're all idiots!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Dear Readers,**

 **Okay, it does seem that Vio is making some dumb decisions such as wanting Red to take his pills again. But, he's not dumb. He's in denial. He's also trying to find the logical solution to everything, and for him—magic isn't real. Plus, he may seem a little out of character because he's been taking on the role of leader (Green's place) to take care of Red.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Sincerely,**

 **DragonWing85**

Green noticed Vio staring at the sword. "Don't worry. I'll only use it if I have to."

Vio blinked and shook his head. "That's not it. You…You have the same sword that I have. I forgot I even had a sword." Vio walked over to Green. "May I?"

Green nodded and passed him the blade. Vio balanced it horizontally on two fingers and mumbled something. He slashed the air with it and paused. He rubbed his chin. "It's exactly the same! Well, not exactly, mine has an amethyst on the hilt. And maybe less nicks in the blade. Your sword looks like it's seen quite a lot of action." He passed it back to Green.

"So, you have one too?" said Green, blinking in suprise. "Can I see it?"

Vio frowned and looked at the slumbering dark Link. "Shadow keeps it locked up. He says it's too dangerous."

He walked over to Shadow and bit his lip as if he were trying to decide if his actions would be deemed betrayal or not. He breathed deeply, having made his choice and pulled the chain off of Shadow's neck. A small key dangled at the end of it. Vio dashed down the hall as if he were afraid, he'd change his mind should he think about it any longer. He opened the door to Shadow's room and pulled an abnormally large chest from closet. Green stood behind him watching the dust bunnies hop through the air. Blue stood in the door watching, not daring to enter the dark Link's room. Vio pushed the key in the lock and turned it. It clicked loudly, and everyone looked behind them just to make sure that Shadow wasn't secretly watching them, plotting their punishment for entering his domain.

As Vio lifted the lid, Green gasped, "Those clothes. I have the same ones—just green!"

"Let me see!" grumbled Blue still in the doorway.

Vio pulled out two hats, two tunics—red and purple, two pairs of tights—both white, and two swords. The sword with the ruby jewel in the hilt had fewer nicks. Apparently, it hadn't seen much battle. However, the blade was covered in a smoky tarnish as though it had experienced a different kind of action. Vio's sword had fewer nicks than Green's, but defiantly more than Red's. On the hilt was not only an amethyst as he had said, but what looked like dried blood.

"I can't believe I'd forgotten these," said Vio. He held the sword in his hands as if it were a priceless artifact. He handed the swords to Green who studied them.

Green nodded his approval. "They're just like mine and Blue's. So are the clothes."

"So, does this mean it's all real—what Shadow and Red are saying?" said Blue.

"It has to," answered Green. "What else could it mean?" He turned to Vio. "You and Red 'really' are our brothers. I always felt like there was supposed to be more of us than just me and Blue, but…I didn't believe it could be true."

Green reached out and hugged Vio who stiffened a little. Green pulled back and wiped away a tear. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—."

"I…I don't hug," said Vio. "That's Red's thing."

"Finally," said Blue grinning, "someone who understands me! And if since your family, you won't mind if I help myself to a snack. We should celebrate—with popcorn!" He headed to the kitchen.

Vio stared at the swords.

"What's wrong?" asked Green, "I thought you'd like the thought of having new family members."

Vio smirked, "Anyone who wants to help take care of Red is welcome. I just…don't quite get it."

"Get what?"

"This!" Vio waved his hands at the contents of the trunk. "It's not logically possible! Portals! Magic! Evil wizards! I don't see how any of this can be real."

Green put a hand on his shoulder. "I believe it is. I think everything that Red and Shadow are saying is true."

Vio closed his eyes. "Of course, you believe that. Your life's hasn't exactly been a dream vacation. Any fairytale would be worth believing in."

Green frowned, but quickly replaced it with a smile. "It's scary to believe in something you can't see like a family who might actually keep you this time. But that doesn't stop me from hoping. And I bet that you'll believe when we go see that princess you've been guarding." Green paused and glanced at Vio with a twinkle in his eye. "So…is she pretty?"

"Yeah, I guess, so. I haven't really noticed."

Green looked at him blankly. "Haven't noticed? You don't get out much, do you?"

"I'd rather read."

Green nodded thoughtfully. "A brother who reads. Cool. I bet you're smarter than all of us."

"Well, I am almost finished with my college degree."

Green headed for the door. "I'm going to get some popcorn before Blue eats it all. You coming?"

Vio nodded and put the trunk back in the closet, but not before leaving the swords out. He hid them in his own room before placing the key back around Shadow's neck.

"He keeps moaning," said Green, worried as he checked on Red.

Vio checked his breathing. "He does that sometimes in his sleep. It's like he's having a nightmare he can't wake up from. He's done this ever since we met."

"I know that feeling all too well." Green paused. "Met? You mean you found each other?"

"Well, yeah. Didn't you find Blue?"

"No…well sort of. It's a long story."

Vio glanced at Shadow and Red. "I think we have plenty of time for a story." He grabbed a small portion of popcorn from Blue's bowl. "These two won't be awake for quite a while."

"Alright," said Green grabbing some popcorn with both hands. "But then you have to tell us yours."

"Fair enough," said Vio.

Green shoved some popcorn in his mouth, "Five years ago…"


	11. Chapter 11

_Five years earlier in our world:_

"Ow, my head," moaned a young teen as he struggled to sit up. He opened his eyes and found himself laying on several carboard boxes. Heaps of trash bags lined the brick walls of a wide ally.

"Where am I?" he thought aloud. As he touched his head, he felt a warm sticky liquid on his fingers. He looked at his hand now covered in the red substance.

 _Blood? Why am I bleeding? What happened? How did I get here?_

He saw a broken mirror a few feet away and used it to try and inspect his wound. He gasped when he saw the figure staring back. He turned to look behind him, but no one was there.

 _Is that me?_

He looked again. Cracks distorted his features. Tilting his head, he saw a large gash near his temple, his green hat just barely covering it.

"You're still ugly," said a voice coming from a dumpster. A set off blue eyes where peeping from beneath the lid.

The boy dropped the mirror, creating more cracks in the glass. "Who…who's there? Show yourself."

"Aren't we the bossy one," said the voice in the dumpster. He slowly pushed the lid up revealing the same type of hat the other boy wore only blue.

"You…you look just like me. We have the same face."

The boy with the blue hat frowned. "Are you calling me ugly?"

"What? No. Here." He picked up the mirror and showed it to the boy in the dumpster.

The boy in the dumpster scoffed. "You're still uglier."

"Do you know why we're here or who I am?" The green capped boy walked towards the dumpster.

"Hey, hey, whoa. Keep your distance. I don't want any trouble. Put the sword down, alright?"

"Sword?" The green capped teen looked down. His hand gripped a sword with an emerald jewel on the hilt. "Oh, I didn't even know I had this!"

The blue capped boy squinted suspiciously. "You're weird."

"Well, at least I'm that. How about you come out of there? I promise I won't hurt you. See. I'm putting the sword down. I'm walking away. See. I'm not going to hurt you. Will you come out now?"

The blue capped teen sighed and pushed the lid up. Throwing his own sword outside the dumpster, he tried to climb out but slipped and fell back in.

"Are you ok?" said the kid as he rushed towards the dumpster. "Oh, my gosh! You're hurt!"

"No, du, Greenie."

"Greenie?" He tried to help the 'blue' kid out of the dumpster.

"Ow. Ow. Ow. Watch…watch the arm!"

Greenie looked at it once he'd safely gotten his acquaintance out of the dumpster. "I think it's broken. And please don't call me Greenie."

"We'll what do I call you then?"

Greenie looked at his clothing and sighed. "I guess just call me Green. And I'll call you…Blue?"

Blue glanced at his own clothes and nodded reluctantly. "Blue. That works."

Green took his sword and cut off a piece of the tunic he was wearing. He then found two pieces of broken wood.

Blue gulped and backed away as his new acquaintance approached him. "What are you doing?"

"Relax. I'm just putting a splint on your arm." After a couple of minutes, Green stood back and admired his work. "Not great, but it will do for now."

"Thanks," said Blue. "What about you? You head doesn't look that good."

Green nodded. "We both need medical attention. But I'm okay. I'll—"

"What do we have here?" said a voice behind them. A couple of punks on our turf."

Three teens looking older than them were standing in the opening of the ally.

"We don't want any trouble," said Green as he picked up his sword.

"Oh, look," said the tallest one. "It's Peter Pan!" He looked around "Where's Wendy?"

The shorter one snorted. "I've never seen a blue Peter pan before. He looks ridiculous! Ha! Ha!"

"Why I ought to—" said Blue as he grabbed his own sword.

Green stepped to the side to block him. "Like I said. We don't want any trouble. We'll just be on our way."

"I don't think so," said the tall one. "No one just walks into our turf and then just walks out without permission."

"Yeah!" said the middle sized one.

"We'll," said Green, "Do we have your permission to leave?"

The three looked at each other and started laughing.

The tall one wiped the laugh tears from his eyes. "Oh, man, you kids are strange. Tell you what. You leave us those fancy swords and we'll let you go."

"No," responded Green.

"No?" said the tall one. "Nobody tells me no."

Green shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I just did."

"That's it!" said the tall one. "Get them."

Blue swung his sword backwards and used the hilt to punch the middle sized one in the stomach.

Green tripped the tall one with his sword and punched the short one in the face.

After two minutes of fighting, it was over.

"Not bad," said Blue. "How did you learn to fight like that?"

"I wish I knew," said Green staring at the unconscious three. "I could ask you the same question."

Blue shrugged his good shoulder. "You're not so bad, Greenie. I might let you hang around with me."

Green frowned, panting and held his head. "I'll take that…as a complement."

"Green, you feeling okay? You don't look so good."

"I…I…just need to—"

"Green!" shouted Blue trying to catch him with his good arm. "Green. Answer me. Oh, no. No. No. No. Come on. Wake up. Don't die. Come on."

Green blinked and mumbled something.

"Good. Come on. You have to try and stand. I'm going to get you some help."

Green closed his eyes again.

"NO! Green, wake up! I can't carry you by myself."

A moan echoed from behind them from one of their foes.

Blue marched over and pointed his sword at the tall one's chest. "Get up."


End file.
